180 degrees of inspiration
Artist Bob LeFevre works on one of his oil paintings.
By Kristin Hackler
It was six or so years ago when Bob LeFevre first pedaled his bicycle to Nancy Island, a small hammock island near the end of Jenkins Point. At the time there was only a farm on the far stretch of land; a handful of cows and a few shaggy goats lazily chewing on wild grasses and flowers in the late spring sun. It was a beautiful scene, but it wasn’t the reason for his visit; it was the old tower in the middle of the field. Pulling his bike up to the tower, Bob climbed the rickety stairs and took in his first glimpse of the 180 degrees of surrounding marsh and open river. It was all he needed to see. Within a year, the LeFevres had purchased the land and begun planning their dream home, and early last year, they finally moved in.
The LeFevre home is a study in curvature. Rounded stairs, cylindrical outer walls and a two story attached tower almost exactly where the original tower once stood. Artwork lines the hallways with a focus on the finely detailed maritime art of John Stobart, and the hummingbirds and orchids obsession of artist Martin Johnson. And peppered here and there are originals by the homeowner: both well-crafted copies of admired artists and rich, light infused originals, almost all of which were painted in Bob’s studio; a glass-enclosed artist’s dream located on the north side of the house.
“Artists love north light,” said Bob as he gestured toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of his studio. Located on the second floor, the height allows LeFevre to see the surrounding native trees in detail, while at the same time affording him a bird’s nest view of the marshes and nearby Nancy Island.
Although Bob draws a lot of his inspiration from the estuaries surrounding his land, he will often work from photos taken both by himself and by his talented son, who currently attends Wooster College. Books of photography are stacked in his studio, depicting everything from horses to birds to natural scenes from the U.S., coast to coast; and in a large drawer, LeFevre files away his own pictures for future reference. In all, it seems almost too organized for an artist, but that’s because this life – painting every day and traveling – is his reward after a long journey through the business world.
“I beat my dad by a year,” said Bob, grinning. After working with Pepsi Co., Procter & Gamble and lastly with the U.S. Playing Card Company, Bob was able to retire at age 55; one year before his father, who retired at age 56. Although Bob tried his best to live life as an artist, after several years of struggling his only job offer was to work for Norcross at $90 a week. “So I decided to go into business,” said Bob.
Fortunately, his talent didn’t suffer from the long break. In fact, his works have become even more thoughtful, bursting with the life of a scene in almost poetic detail. For comparison, his very first fine art piece hangs in his office; a detailed rendition of a clipper cutting its way through a midnight blue sea. It’s a beautiful work and astonishingly mature for an 18 year old with no formal artistic training. However, it a lifetime of experience for LeFevre’s more recent works to acquire the depth of perception, fine use of light and texture, and visual narrative which his paintings display today.
Although it seems as though Bob LeFevre has been gifted from the start, he is a firm believer that artistic talent does not necessarily come from genes. “If you can see, you can paint,” said Bob, and he’s already preparing to prove his point. Starting on February 4, Bob LeFevre will be conducting painting classes for everyone who is interested: from the blossoming artist to the artistically impaired. Using a book that has inspired him throughout the years, Drawing on the right side of the brain by Betty Edwards, LeFevre will show his students how to “look” at objects in order to draw them. From understanding the range of light on an object to studying how objects relate to one another, to drawing without the necessary use of lines, LeFevre is thrilled to share his wealth of knowledge with people who would like to see the world a little differently. Bob has previous experience teaching art students and already has a lineup of fun practice pieces, including drawing upside down, understanding the difference between a “symbol” and the actual (such as the symbol of an eye and actually drawing an eye), and much more.
Bob LeFevre’s art classes will be held at the Lake House from 1pm – 3 or 4pm, for 4 – 6 consecutive Thursdays starting on February 4, 2010. To view samples of Bob’s art, go to www.lefevrepaintings.com.
